After School Programs
After School programs are one of the best ways to keep students engaged and out of trouble. Check to see what programs are available in your area.
These resources can help you and your local policy makers implement programs in your area.
YouthQuest: Flint, MI After School Program & Activities
YouthQuest is a good case study in after school programs. Their goal is to move beyond traditional classroom studies and provide a holistic approach to learning: it's fun, engaging and experiential, and it's connected to the school day.
Department of Education - 21st Century Community Learning Centers
The Department of Education is sponsoring an initiative -- after school community learning centers targeted to urban and rural areas where issues of safety and drug-free environments lay at the top of the priority list. This site provides the information for applying for grants, a list of districts currently receiving grants, and case studies of effective programs.
Research and Resources on Before-and-After-School Programs
The Illinois State Board of Education has key resources on after-school programs: practices, theory, studies, case reports. This collection can provide data for illustrating the benefits and limitations of after-school programs to policy-makers and givers of grants, such as local businesses.
At long last enough data has been amassed to convince policy-makers that young folks get into trouble most frequently after regular school hours and that valuable facilities are unused for the major part of the day.
According to the results of a survey conducted by the Mott Foundation and JCPenny and reported in the DOE's "Community Update", about 90% of the voting public endorse after-school and summer programs.
Mott Foundation After-School Learning
The Mott Foundation's Pathways Out of Poverty program provides grants to support initiatives around the U.S. to promote learning beyond the classroom, especially for traditionally under-served children and youth.
The Afterschool Alliance
The After School Alliance web site, founded in part by the Mott Foundation and the U.S. DoE, includes resources in areas like...
- Facts & Research
- After School In Your State
- After School Challenge Conference
- Advocate Newsletter
- Publications
It does not seem like a big secret that one difference between richer and poorer communities is the availability of productive extra-curricular resources for students. This initiative could prove to be one of the most powerful contributions to education.
A Guide To Implementing After School Programs
Includes topics for after-school programs like Reading, Mathematics, Think College Early, Teacher Recruitment and Training, Technology, The Arts and Parent Involvement.
Related Topics ...
Other Areas To Check Out ...
• Community Technology Centers And Other Resources
• Hands-on Physics
• Linking The Real World and Physics
• Safe Web Search Tools
• Technology Policies and Planning
• Thoughts on Educational Reform
